Shock absorber



J. B. WHITTED SHOCK ABSORBER sept. 1o, 1935.

Filed Deo'. 23, 1931 ZSheGtS-Sheer, l

J. B. WHITTED SHOCK ABsoRBER Sept. 10, 1935.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Deo. 23, 1931 m JE? l' JE@ if i y my Patented Sept. 16, 1935 SHOCK ABSRBER John B. Whitted, Chica assignments, to tion, Buffalo, N.

go, Ill., assigner, by mesne Houde Engineering Corpora- Y., a corporation of New York Application December 23, 1931, Serial No. 582,686

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in shock absorbers, particularly doubleacting hydraulic shock absorbers adapted to control both the bound and rebound movements of the vehicle springs whereby sudden jars and jolts are substantially eliminated.

The improvements are particularly directed to a double-acting shock absorber of the type including a double ended cylinder and a pair of pistons therein which are moved simultaneously in one direction or the other by a rock shaft connected to the axle or other part of the vehicle not supported by the springs, while the shock absorber itself is xed to the chassis of the vehicle.

It is a feature of the invention to provide wear plates loosely connected to the pistons and maintained in contact with the rockable member through spring means resiliently connecting the pistons.

It is also a feature of the invention to provide guide plates loosely connected to the pistons and engaged by the rockable member to prevent rotation of the pistons.

A further feature of the present improvements relates to the construction of the uid release valve adapted to establish restricted iiow of the iiuid through certain portions of the shock absorber in opposite directions, that is, both during the bound and rebound of the vehicle body.

Further and additional features and improvements of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following description taken in connection with the attached drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the shock absorber on the plane indicated iin Fig. 2, a portion thereof being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the shock absorber;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the shock absorber;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane indicated 3 4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane indicated 5-5 in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane indicated --S in Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a partial horizontal section taken longitudinally of the shock absorber;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the fluid release valve stem;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the fluid release valve stem and housing therefor;

(Cl. 18S- 88) Figure l0 is an end View of the fluid release valve and housing, and

Figure ll is a plan View of the disk valve.

The shock absorber comprises a casing or housing iii having apertures l2 extending there- C through for receiving bolts by means of which the shock absorber is attached to the vehicle. The housing l@ provides a central chamber I4 and cylindrical end chambers i6 and i8 closed by removable cap members 2t and 22 which are shown to be in screw-threaded engagement with the body of the housing ii). A pair of pistons 24 and 2S are provided slidable within the housing l0 and guided by the cylinder walls forming the end chambers it and i3. The pistons are provided with inwardly directed projections 28 and 30. Each of the pistons has a pin 32-34 passing through the projections thereof transverse to the axis of movement of the pistons. The pins are formed with grooved ends forming seats for connecting Ythe pistons by means of a pair of springs 36. As clearly shownl in Figure 1 the ends of the spring members 36 are hooked around the grooved ends of the pins 32-36. The pistons are also loosely connected by a pair of guide plates 38 which have slotted openings 39 at each end for receiving the ends of the pins 32-3. As will be noted in Figure 7 the guide plates 38 are inside of and retained in place by the springs.

Each of the pistons is further provided with a wear plate or shim i0 and 42, each bent in the form of a clevis to fit over the projections of the pistons and connected to the pins 32 and 34 by means of slots M3 permitting a certain degree of lost motion.

The pistons are operated by means of a rock shaft `fifi rotatably supported by the shock absorber housing and provided with a laterally extending yoke portion 46 in which is rotatably supported a roller 68. It will be evident from the disclosure in Figure 1 that the yieldable connections between the pistons maintain the wear plates on each of the pistons in engagement with the roller and movement of the rock shaft will move the pistons together in either direction.

The rock shaft i4 is formed with a head 50 supported in a bearing portion 52.0f the housing l0. The rock shaft is assembled Vthrough the figure 8 shaped opening 52, which is closed by the cover member 5G secured by bolts 56 to the hous- 50 ing I B. The rock shaft 4G extends through the bearing 58 of the housing ill which is provided with sealing means 0 to prevent escape of the iluid from the shock absorber casing. The protruding end 62 of the rock shaft 44 may have 55 connected thereto, in any suitable manner, an actuating arm GLI shown in dotted lines in Figure 7.

Each of the pistons is formed with a fluid passage 65 extending therethrough placing the central chamber Ill in communication with the end chambers IE and I8. The flow of the fluid from the end chambers to the central chamber is prevented by a ball valve 68 held in normal seated position by a spring 'I9 retained by a cross` pin I2. It will be noted that the housing II) is provided with a plug 'Ill and by the removal of the plug the central chamber may be -lled or replenished with fluid and the fluid from the central chamber I4 can flow past the ball valves 6B into the end chambers.

The end chambers I5 and I3 are placed in communication by passageway 'I6 extending longitudinally of the casing II! and connected at its ends by transverse passageways I8 and 3l) with the interior of the housing. The walls of the cylinder chambers I6 and I8 are suitably grooved as at 82 and 8@ to permit ow to the extreme end of the chambers I6 and I8.

I have shown in Figures 4, 8, 9, and 10 the construction of the uid release valve assembly which restrictively controls the flow of fluid between the opposite ends of the shock absorber. There is Shown a plug 8% provided with screw threads 88 A separated by an annular cut-out portion 9G. The

plug 86 is threaded into an extension S2 of the casing III, as best shown in Figure 4. The fiuid may flow in either direction through the valve seat within the body of the plug, as hereinafter described. Through an opening 912i, the body of the plug Yis placed in communication with the annular cut-out portion 9D and therefore in communication with the longitudinal passageway IS. A disk member 95 is pressed into the inner end of the plug 86 and is provided with slotted openings 93. Slidably received within the body of the plug 86 is a valve stem IGI), having a square-shaped head III2 for centering one end of the stem in the plug 86 and permitting flow of fluid past the head m2. The

- stem YIIBG is pressed in aninward direction by a spring III@ within the body of the plug 86 and reacting against the head H32 of the stem I. The valve stem IUI) has a reduced end IGS passing through a central opening IBS in the disk 86 and the shoulder of the enlargedportion IIB in normal position of the valve stem is pressed into engagement with the disk 96, as shown in Figure 9. The cylindrical portion III) is smaller than the cylindrical portion II2 and these portions III) and I I2 are joined by a conical portion I I4. Received Y within the enlarged inner end I IB of the plug 855 is a disk-shaped valve member I I8 provided with inturned fingers IZ for centering the end of a spring I22 which normally urges the valve disk to- 60 wards seated position upon shoulder |24. The valve disk I I8 is provided with a central opening |26 slightly larger than the cylindrical portion I I2 of the valve stem IDI). The valve disk has cut-out portions |21 which permit flow around the edges 65A of the disk when it is opened by the fluid pressure. Y

The shock absorber is secured to the vehicle body and mounted horizontally thereon for movement vertically with the vehicle body on bound 70` and rebound of the same. The arm 64 is suitably connected by a link to the axleor other portion of the vehicle structure which is not supported by the springs. When the vehicle strikes an obstruction ordepression in the'road, the body of the 75 vehicle swings down towards the axle, compressing the springs and also moving the shock absorber secured thereto downwardly. This movement will cause the operating arm 64 to move in a counter: clockwise direction thereby swinging the yoke member IIS to the right, in Figure 1, causing the 5 horizontally disposed pistons to be simultaneously moved to the right. As the shock absorber is filled with oil, or other suitable fluid, as the pistons move to the right under the influence of the counterclockwise movement of the rock shaft, the 10 fluid forward of the piston 26 will be forced through the channel 84, the cross bore 80, the longitudinal passageway 1G and into the chamber within the body of the housing plug Il@ for the release valve assembly. The fluid being under com- 15 pression will force the valve disk I IS from its seat against the resistance of the spring I22 and the movement of the disk valve relative to the tapering portion I Iii of the valve pin effects a progressively increasing area of the opening in the disk 20 valve to afford a variable restricted passage for flow of the fluid, plus additional flow around the edges of the valve disk. The amount that the opening increases is dependent, of course, upon the amount of pressure exerted upon the valve 25 disk by the fluid and is in direct proportion to the force of the bound of the vehicle. The fluid thus forced through the aperture in the valve disk I I8 passes .through the apertures in the washer 96 through the cross bore I8, the channel 82 and 30 into the chamber I6 to the rear of the left-hand piston 2.

After the vehicle body reaches the limit of its downward movement it starts upwardly on its rebound movement under the influence of the com- 35V pressed springs of the vehicle. This upward movement causes the operating arm to move in a clockwise direction and thereby moves the pistons in the opposite direction to that previously tak-` ing place. It will be understood that the fluid will 4b" act against the valve disk I I8 to seat the same but will act against the valve pin ISE) tending to move the pin against the resistance of the spring IEllI. The movement of the tapered portion IIJI of the valve pin relative to the central opening of the' 45 valve disk I IS effects a progressively increasing area of the opening and here also the amount of the opening is dependent upon the amount of pressure exerted by the iiuid upon the valve pin.

As the vehicle body again returns toward its nor- 50'i mal or neutral position, the compression of the fluid will not be su'cient to open the valve disk II8 since the slight enlargement of the central opening in the valve disk relative to the pin IiIJ will serve as a bleed to prevent any further rez tardation. It is to be understood that the up and down movements of the vehicle body, under ordinary road vibrations, are quite rapid so that the pistons will only move a few thousandths of an inch at the most and any displacement of fluid by the pistons during such slight movements passes the bleed opening of the valve disk I I3 around the valve stem IUD.

Due to the yieldable connection between the pistons, the wear plates carried thereby are maintained in constant engagement with the roller carried by the rock shaft and the guide plates engaging the .sides of the yoke portion I5 of the rock shaft prevent rotation of the pistons with respect to the housing I0.

I claim:

1. In a shock absorber construction, a casing, a pair of pistons slidable in said casing, a rockable shaft supported by said casing, said shaft having an arm extending between said pistons, a

roller carried by said arm between said pistons, a pair of guide plates loosely connecting said pistons, said roller being positioned between said guide plates, a pair of wear plates loosely carried by said pistons, each of said wear plates being interposed between one of the pistons and said roller and tension spring members connecting said pistons for yieldably holding each of said pistons in thrust engagement with said roller through the wear plates.

2. In a shock absorber construction, a casing, a longitudinal chamber in said casing, a pair of pistons slidable in said longitudinal chamber, a rockable shaft carried by said casing for moving said pistons simultaneously in either direction, resilient means connecting said pistons for holding said pistons in engagement with said rockable shaft, said casing having a iluid ilo-w passage placing the ends of the longitudinal chamber in communication and pressure-operated valve members in said passage having a normally restricted opening therebetween, said valve members being adapted to open under pressure in either direction and provide an increasing area of opening for fluid flow between said valve members in accordance with an increasing iluid pressure in either direction.

3. In a shock absorber construction, a casing having a pair of end chambers adapted to contain fluid, piston means movable between said end chambers, a fluid ilow passage connecting the end chambers independently of said pistons and valve means for controlling the ilow of fluid through said passage in either direction comp-rising a pair of yieldably pressed valve members having a normally restricted ow opening therebetween and means providing an increasing area of opening for ilow of the fluid between said valve members upon movement of either of said valve members away from its normal position.

4. A fluid flow controlling valve assembly for use in a shock absorber construction, comprising, a valve housing member, a pair of valve members in said housing, a pair of compression springs arranged to react between said housing and each of said valve members for holding said valve members in normal positions in abutment with said housing, one of said valve members being arranged to receive the other of said valve members and having an opening slightly larger than the other valve member, the other valve member being formed with a reduced portion whereby movement of either of said valve members from its normal position in accordance With the pressure of the fluid provides an increasing area of the fluid ow opening.

5. In a valve assembly for use in a shock absorber construction to control the flow of fluid in either direction, a valve housing member having a fluid flow chamber therein, said housing having an opening through a wall thereof in communication with said chamber, a valve stem member slidable in said chamber, a washer member having fluid flow openings carried by one end of said housing and slidably supporting one end of said valve stem member, a compression spring reacting between the inner end of said chamber and the head of said valve stern member to normally hold said valve stem member in abutting relation with said washer, a slidable disk valve carried Within said housing having a circular opening to receive said valve stem member, a resilient spring reacting .between said washer and said disk valve normally holding said disk valve in abutting relation with said housing, said valve members being pressed in opposite directions by said springs and said valve stem member having a conical portion normally extending beyond said disk valve, whereby movement of said valve stem member or of said disk valve by the pressure of the fluid provides an increasing area of opening for fluid flow between said valve members.

6. In a shock absorber construction, a casing, a pair of pistons slidable in said casing, a rockable shaft supported by said casing, said shaft having an arm extending between said pistons, a pair of guide plates loosely connecting said pistons, said arm extending between said guide plates to hold said pistons against rotation and contractible resilient elements connecting said pistons for holding said pistons in thrust engagement with said arm, said elements serving to retain said guide plates against displacement.

7. In a shock absorber construction, a casing, a pair of pistons slidable in said casing, a rockable shaft supported by said casing, said shaft having an arm extending between said pistons, a pair of pin members respectively carried by said pistons, a pair of guide plates having slotted openings at each end adapted to receive the ends of said pins for connecting said pistons, a pair of contractible resilient elements connected at their opposite ends to said pins to urge said pistons into thrust engagement with said arm and to hold said guide plates against displacement.

8. A iluid flow controlling valve assembly for use in a shock absorber construction comprising, a housing member, a pair of cooperating valve members in said housing providing a normal restricted opening for fluid ilow between said valve members, resilient means acting upon said Valve members in opposite directions to hold said valve members in normal positions in abutment upon said housing, one of said valve members having a tapered 'portion cooperating with the other of said valve members whereby when either of said valve members is moved from its normal position by the fluid pressure, an increasing area of opening is obtained for fluid flow between said valve members.

9. In a shock absorber construction, a casing, a pair of pistons slidable in said casing, a rockable shaft supported by said casing, said shaft having an arm extending between `said pistons, a pair of guide plates loosely connecting said pistons, said arm extending between said guide plates, a pair of wear plates loosely carried by said pistons, each of said wear plates being interposed between one of the pistons and said arm,

and resilient means connecting said pistons for yieldably holding each of said pistons in thrust engagement with said arm through the wear plates.

l0. In a shock absorber construction, a casing, a pair of pistons slidably supported in said casing, a rockable shaft supported by said casing, said shaft having an arm extending between said pistons, a pair of cross pins carried by said pistons, a pair of wear plates, each o-f which is mounted by a cross pin on one of said pistons, a pair of guide plates loosely connecting the cross pins on said pistons and a pair of tension spring elements connecting the ends of said cross pins for yieldably holding said pistons in thrust engagement with said arm through the wear plates and for retaining said wear plates and guide plates in position.

11. A fluid flow controlling valve assembly for use in hydraulic shock absorber construction comprising a valve chamber having outer and end having guiding and abutting engagement against the inner end Wall of said Valve chamber, a spring trending to yieidably hold said valve in abutting engagement With said inner wall, said stem having an intermediate portion of varying cross section Wherebyrwhen said Valve is shifted by fluid pressure against resistance of said spring the oW area through said port Will be changed.

JOHN B. WHITTED. 

